Knitting apparatus



Nov. 12, 1957 JEANNE-FRANCOISE LENGLET 2,812,650

' NEE FISCHER KNITTING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 7, 1955 United States Patent can i KNITTING APPARATUS Jeanne-Francoise Lenglet, nee Fischer, Cuvat, France Application November 7, 1955, Serial No. 545,481 Claims priority, application France November 5, 1954 12 Claims. (Cl. 66-60) The present invention relates to a hand-operated knitting apparatus and more particularly to a straight line knitting apparatus having a set of substantially horizontally movable needles and a substantially vertically ar ranged retaining needle comb.

In knitting apparatus of this type, there is usually provided a set of weight or sinkers attached to the workpiece to pull the workpiece downwardly during the knitting operation and to prevent the workpiece from shifting upwardly during the movement of the knitting needles. Such weights or sinkers complicate the apparatus considerably and make the operation of the same ditficult for unskilled persons.

It is one object of the present invention to eliminate the necessity of such weights or sinkers and to provide a construction in which the workpiece is properly held during the knitting operation.

It is a further object of the present invention to construct such means for holding the workpiece during the knitting operation from few and simple parts so that the apparatus can be handled by unskilled people.

It is an additional object of the present invention to provide means which will positively engage into the newly formed loops on which the workpiece is suspended during the knitting operation to prevent an upward shifting of the workpiece during the operation.

With these objects in view, the present invention consists in a knitting apparatus comprising a support, an elongated needle comb mounted on the support and having a plurality of spaced teeth projecting therefrom, a row of spaced knitting needles having hooked end portions and being located in a plane and respectively movable through the spaces between the teeth of the needle comb between a retracted position in which the needles are located at one side of the needle comb and an advanced position in which the hooked end portions project through the needle comb to the other side of the same, actuating means movable in longitudinal direction of the needle comb and having needle shifting means consecutively engaging groups of the needles during such movement for consecutively moving the needles from the retracted to the advanced position and back, so that the needle comb retains a knitted workpiece on the other side thereof suspended on suspending loops passing through the hooked end portions of the needles when the same have moved to the retracted position, and a set of projecting members located on the other side of the needle comb and being movable to advanced positions projecting into the spaces between the teeth of the needle comb, the set of projecting members being actuated by the actuating means to consecutively move to the advanced positions during movement of the actuating means in the longitudinal direction so that the projecting members are adapted to consecutively project through the suspended loops of the workpiece to prevent displacement of the workpiece by the hooked end portions of the needles.

In the preferred embodiment of the present invention the set of projecting members are constituted by the teeth a of a pair of toothed wheels whereby the wheels are spaced equal distances from the needle comb and spaced from each other in longitudinal direction of the needle comb.

The distance between the axes of these wheels is preferably chosen in such a way that the wheel teeth respectively project through the same loops which tend to be displaced in upward direction by the hooked ends of the knitting needles as these hooked ends pass through these loops during the reciprocating movement of the needles.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a partly sectioned side view of the knitting apparatus according to the present invention; and

Fig. 2 is a top view of the apparatus with some of the parts removed or partly broken away to show the construction more clearly.

Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings show a set of knitting needles 4, arranged in plane and supported in grooves of a needle bed 3 for sliding movement between a retracted position and an advanced position, as can be best seen in Fig. 2. The needle bed 3 itself is mounted on a support 9. Each of the needles is formed in its shank portion with a projection 5 which engages in a curved cam groove 5' formed in the slide or actuating means 1 in a plane parallel to the needle plane. The actuating means 1 are guided for linear movement in a direction normal to the axes of the knitting needles by a guide rail 2 which is located above the needles 4. Mounted on the support 9 in a position inclined to the needle bed-3 is a needle comb 8.

Each of the needles has a hooked end portion 6 and is further provided on this end portion with a clasp 7 which normally closes the hooked end portion 6.

During the movement of the actuating means 1 in the longitudinal direction of the apparatus, the hooked end portions 6 of the needles will be consecutively retracted and advanced between the teeth of the needle comb 8, as

' can be best seen from Fig. 8.

The actuating means I carry on their front face a support bracket which is formed by a pair of support arms 12 spaced from each other in the longitudinal direction of the actuating means (only one of which is shown in Fig. 1) which extend over the needle comb 8 and which are U-shaped so that the free ends 13 of the support arms project toward the outer face of the needle comb 8. A support plate 11 is slidably mounted on the free ends 13 of the support arms 12 by means of a pair of guide members 14 These guide members 14 are provided with aligned openings through which the free ends 13 of the support arms protrude so that the support plate 11 is guided for movement toward and away from the needle comb 8. The support arms 12 are formed near their free ends with annular flange portions 16 and coil springs 15 are respectively arranged between the flange portions 16 of the support arms 12 and the guide member 14 of the support plate 11 adjacent thereto. The springs 15' tend to press the support plate 11 toward the needle comb 8. A member 17 is attached, preferably by rivets 18, to the support plate 11. This member 17 carries near its front edge a pair of toothed wheels 19 which are turnably mounted on the member 17 for rotation about stud shafts 29, respectively.

The axes of these shafts are preferably parallel to the teeth of the needle comb 8 so that the toothed wheels rotate in a plane substantially normal to the needle comb 8. The teeth 21 of the toothed wheels 19 are pointed and the axes 20 of the wheels 19 are spaced from the needle comb 8 equal distances and so that the teeth nearest to the needle comb 8 will project through the space between the teeth of the needle comb. The circumferential pitch of the teeth 21 is equal to the distance between the teeth of the needle comb 8 so that the teeth 21 of the wheel mesh with the teeth of the needle comb 8 in the same way as gear teeth mesh with the teeth of a rack.

The wheel teeth 21 are also provided with chamfers 22 inclined to the plane of the wheel, as can be clearly seen in Fig. 1, so that the teeth projecting through the needle comb can be brought very close to the plane in which the knitting needles 4 reciprocate.

The apparatus as described will operate in the following manner:

When the actuating means 1 are moved in the dire'ction of the arrow 27 shown in Fig. 2, the needles 4 of the needle group 23 are retracted and pull the thread 24, about to form a new group of loops through the teeth of the needle comb 8 whereby the loops 25, formed during the preceding operation, close the clasps 7 of the knitting needles 4. The needles 4 of the group 26 are at the same time shifted from their retracted position to their advanced position and place thereby new loops on top of the previously formed row of loops whereby the clasps 7 are opened again as the needles pass to their advanced positions. During this action, the loops are pressed by the front edge of the support plate 11 against the needle comb 8 and the pointed ends of the wheel teeth 21 engage into the loops formed by the knitting needles of the needle groups 23 and 26.

The axes of the stud shafts 20 of the two toothed wheels 19 are spaced in longitudinal direction of the apparatus in such a way that the pointed wheel teeth 21 will respectively always project through the same loops which tend to be displaced in upward direction along the needle comb 8 by the hooked ends 6 of the needles 4. In the fully advanced position of the needles the loops hang on the shank portion of the needles, but as the hooked ends 6 of the needles pass through the loops, these hooked ends and the clasps 7 tend to shift the loops in upward direction along the outer face of the needle comb 8, and the Wheel teeth 21 engage those loops which are subjected to the shifting action of the needles. Therefore, the wheel teeth 21 operate to keep the loops from shifting in upward direction. At the same time, the front edge of the support plate 14 holds the workpiece resiliently against the outer face of the comb 8.

This arrangement eliminates the necessity of weights or sinkers attached to the workpiece and greatly simplifies the construction as well as the operation of the knitting apparatus.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of knitting machines differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a knitting machine including projecting members adapted to consecutively project through suspended loops of the workpiece to prevent displacement of the workpiece by the hooked ends of the needles, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention. 7

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic of specific aspects of this in vention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a knitting apparatus, in combination, a support; an elongated needle comb mounted on said support and having a plurality of spaced teeth projecting therefrom; a row of spaced knitting needles having hooked end portions and being located in a plane and respectively movable through the spaces between said teeth of said needle comb between a retracted position in which said needles are located at one side of said needle comb and an advanced position in which said hooked end portions project through said needle comb to the other side of the same; actuating means movable in longitudinal direction of said needle comb and having needle shifting means consecutively engaging groups of said needles during such movement for consecutively moving said needles from said retracted to said advanced position and back, so that said needle comb retains a knitted workpiece on said other side thereof suspended on suspending loops passing through said hooked end portions of said needles when the same have moved to said retracted position; and a set of projecting members located on the other side of said needle comb and being movable to advanced positions projecting into said spaces between said teeth of said needle comb, said set of projecting members being actuated by said actuating means to consecutively move to said advanced positions during movement of said actuating means in said longitudinal direction so that said projecting members are adapted to consecutively project through said suspended loops of said workpiece to prevent displacement of said workpiece by said hooked end portions of said needles.

2. In a knitting apparatus, in combination, a support; an elongated needle comb mounted on said support and having a plurality of spaced teeth projecting therefrom; a row of spaced knitting needles having hooked end portions and being located in a plane and respectively movable through the spaces between said teeth of said needle comb between a retracted position in which said needles are located at one side of said needle comb and an advanced position in which said hooked end portions project through said needle comb to the other side of the same; actuating means movable in longitudinal direction of said needle comb and having needle shifting means consecutively engaging groups of said needles during such movement for consecutively moving said needles from said retracted to said advanced position and back, so that said needle comb retains a knitted workpiece on said other side thereof suspended on suspending loops passing through said hooked end portions of said needles when the same have moved to said retracted position; a support bracket connected to said actuating means for movement therewith in longitudinal direction; and a set of projecting members movably mounted on said support bracket, being located on the other side of said needle comb and being movable to advanced positions projecting into said spaces between said teeth of said needle comb, said set of projecting members being actuated by said actuating means to consecutively move to said advanced positions during movement of said actuating means in said longitudinal direction so that said projecting members are adapted to consecutively project through said suspended loops of said workpiece to prevent displacement of said workpiece by said hooked end portions of said needles.

3. In a knitting apparatus, in combination, a support; an elongated needle comb mounted on said support and having a plurality of spaced teeth projecting therefrom; a row of spaced knitting needles having hooked end portions and beinglocated in a plane and respectively movable through the spaces between said teeth of said needle comb between a retracted position in which said needles are located at one side of said needle comb and an advanced position in which said hooked end portions project through said needle comb to the other side of the same; actuating means movable in longitudinal direction of said needle comb and having needle shifting means consecutively engaging groups of said needles during such movement for consecutively moving said needles from said retracted to said advanced position and back, so that said needle comb retains a knitted workpiece on said other side thereof suspended on suspending loops passing through said hooked end portions of said needles when the same have moved to said retracted position; a support bracket connected to said actuating means for movement therewith in longitudinal direction and being movable toward and away from said needle comb; yieldable means acting on said support bracket and tending to keep said support bracket in contact with said other side of said needle comb; and a set of projecting members movably mounted on said support bracket, being located on the other side of said needle comb and being movable to advanced positions projecting into said spaces between said teeth of said needle comb, said set of projecting members being actuated by said actuating means to consecutively move to said advanced positions during movement of said actuating means in said longitudinal direction so that said projecting members are adapted to consecutively project through said suspended loops of said workpiece to prevent displacement of said workpiece by said hooked end portions of said needles.

4. In a knitting apparatus, in combination, a support; an elongated needle comb mounted on said support and having a plurality of teeth projecting therefrom and being spaced from each other respectively by a given distance; a row of spaced knitting needles having hooked end portions and being located in a plane and respectively movable through the spaces between said teeth of said needle comb between a retracted position in which said needles are located at one side of said needle comb and an advanced position in which said hooked end portions project through said needle comb to the other side of the same; actuating means movable in longitudinal direction of said needle comb and having needle shifting means consecutively engaging groups of said needles during such movement for consecutively moving said needles from said retracted to said advanced position and back, so

that said needle comb retains a knitted workpiece on said other side thereof suspended on suspending loops passing through said hooked end portions of said needles when the same have moved to said retracted position; and a set of projecting members located on the other side of said needle comb, being spaced from each other respectively a distance equal to said given distance and being movable to advanced positions projecting into said spaced between said teeth of said needle comb, said set of projecting members meshing with said teeth of said needle comb and being consecutively moved to said advanced portions by engagement with said teeth of said needle comb, respectively, during movement of said actuating means in said longitudinal direction so that said projecting members are adapted to consecutively project through said suspended loops of said workpiece to prevent displacement of said workpiece by said hooked end portions of said needles.

5. In a knitting apparatus, in combination, a support; an elongated needle comb mounted on said support and having a plurality of spaced teeth projecting therefrom; a row of spaced knitting needles having hooked end portions and being located in a plane and respectively movable through the spaces between said teeth of said needle comb between a retracted position in which said needles are located at one side of said needle comb and an advanced position in which said hooked end portions project through said needle comb to the other side of the same; actuating means movable in longitudinal direction of said needle comb and having needle shifting means consecutively engaging groups of said needles during such movement for consecutively moving said needles from said retracted to said advanced position and back, so that said needle comb retains a knitted workpiece on said other side thereof suspended on suspending loops passing through said hooked end portions of said needles when the same have moved to said retracted position; a supporting bracket being connected to said actuating means for movement in longitudinal direction therewith; and at least one toothed wheel having a plurality of spaced Wheel teeth and being turnably mounted on said bracket on the other side of said needle comb, said wheel teeth being in meshing engagement with said teeth of said needle comb so that said toothed wheel turns during movement of said actuating means and said wheel teeth are adapted to consecutively project through said suspended loops of said workpiece to prevent displacement of said workpiece by said hooked end portions of said needles.

6. In a knitting apparatus, in combination, a support; an elongated needle comb mounted on said support and having a plurality of spaced teeth projecting therefrom; a row of spaced knitting needles having hooked end portions and being located in a plane and respectively movable through the spaces between said teeth of said needle comb between a retracted position in which said needles are located at one side of said needle comb and an ad vanced position in which said hooked end portions project through said needle comb to the other side of the same; actuating means movable in longitudinal direction of said needle comb and having needle shifting means consecutively engaging groups of said needles during such movement for consecutively moving said needles from said retracted to said advanced position and back, so that said needle comb retains a knitted workpiece on said other side thereof suspended on suspending loops passing through said hooked end portions of said needles when the same have moved to said retracted position; a pair of support arms being connected to said actuating means for movement in longitudinal direction therewith; a support plate slidably mounted on said support arms on the other side of said needle comb for movement toward and away from said needle comb; yieldable means acting on said support plate and tending to move said support plate toward said needle comb; and at least one toothed wheel having a plurality of spaced wheel teeth and being turnably mounted on said support plate, said wheel teeth being in meshing engagement with said teeth of said needle comb so that said toothed wheel turns during movement of said actuating means and said wheel teeth are adapted to consecutively project through said suspended loops of said workpiece to prevent displacement of said workpiece by said hooked end portions of said needles.

7. In a knitting apparatus, in combination, a support; an elongated needle comb mounted on said support and having a plurality of spaced teeth projecting therefrom; a row of spaced knitting needles having hooked end portions and being located in a plane and respectively movable through the spaces between said teeth of said needle comb between a retracted position in which said needles are located at one side of said needle comb and an advanced position in which said hooked end portions project through said needle comb to the other side of the same; actuating means movable in longitudinal direction of said needle comb and having needle shifting means consecutively engaging groups of said needles during such movement for consecutively moving said needles from said retracted to said advanced position and back, so that said needle comb retains a knitted workpiece on said other side thereof suspended on suspending loops passing through said hooked end portions of said needles when the same have moved to said retracted position; a supporting bracket being connected to said actuating means for movement in longitudinal direction therewith; and at least one toothed wheel having a plurality of spaced wheel teeth and being turnably mounted on said bracket for turning movement in a plane substantially normal to said teeth of said comb on the other side of said needle comb, said wheel teeth being in meshing engagement with said teeth of said needle comb so that said toothed wheel turns during movement of said actuating means and said wheel teeth are adapted to consecutively project through said suspended loops of said workpiece to prevent dis placement of said workpiece by said hooked end portions of said needles.

8. In a knitting apparatus, in combination, a support; an elongated needle comb mounted on said support and having a plurality of spaced teeth projecting therefrom; a row of spaced knitting needles having hooked end portions and being located in a plane and respectively movable through the spaces between said teeth of said needle comb between a retracted position in which said needles are located at one side of said needle comb and an advanced position in which said hooked end portions project through said needle comb to the other side of the same; actuating means movable in longitudinal direction of said needle comb and having needle shifting means co-nsecutively engaging groups of said needles during such movement for consecutively moving said needles from said retracted to said advanced position and back, so that said needle comb retains a knitted workpiece on said other side thereof suspended on suspending loops passing through said hooked end portions of said needles when the same have moved to said retracted position; a sup porting bracket being connected to said actuating means for movement in longitudinal direction therewith; and at least one toothed wheel having a plurality of spaced Wheel teeth and being turn-ably mounted on said bracket on the other side of said needle comb, said wheel teeth being chamfered so as to provide pointed tooth ends, said wheel teeth being in meshing engagement with said teeth of said needle comb so that said toothed wheel turns during movement of said actuating means and said wheel teeth are adapted to consecutively project through said suspended loops of said workpiece to prevent displacement of said workpiece by said hooked end portions of said needles.

9. In a knitting apparatus, in combination, a support; an elongated needle comb mounted on said support and having a plurality of spaced teeth projecting therefrom; a row of spaced knitting needles having hooked end portions and being located in a plane and respectively movable through the spaces between said teeth of said needle comb between a retracted position in which said needles are located at one side of said needle comb and an advanced position in which said hooked end portions project through said needle comb to the other side of the same; actuating means movable in longitudinal direction of said needle comb and having needle shifting means consecutively engaging groups of said needles during such movement for consecutively moving said needles from said retracted to said advanced position and back, so that said needle comb retains a knitted workpiece on said other side thereof suspended on suspending loops passing through said hooked end portions of said needles when the same have moved to said retracted position; a supporting bracket being connected to said actuating means for movement in longitudinal direction therewith; and a pair of toothed wheels, each having a plurality of spaced wheel teeth and being turnably mounted on said bracket on the other side of said needle comb spaced equal distances from the same and said wheels being spaced from each other in longitudinal direction of said needle comb, said wheel teeth being in meshing engagement with said teeth of said needle comb so that said toothed wheels turn during movement of said actuating means and said wheel teeth are adapted to consecutively project through said suspended loops of said workpiece to prevent displacement of said workpiece by said hooked endportions of said needles.

10. ,In a knitting apparatus, in combination, a support; an elongated needle comb mounted on said support and having a plurality of spaced teeth projecting therefrom; a row of spaced knitting needles having hooked end portions and being located in a plane and respectively mov able through the spaces between said teeth of said needle comb between a retracted position in which said needles are located at one side of said needle comb and an advanced position in which said hooked end portions project through said needle comb to the other side of the same; actuating means movable in longitudinal direction of said needle comb and having needle shifting means consecutively engaging groups of said needles during such movement for consecutively moving said needles from said retracted to said advanced position and back, so that said needle comb retains a knitted workpiece on said other side thereof suspended on suspending loops passing through said hooked end portions of said needles when the same have moved to said retracted position; a supporting bracket being connected to said actuating means for movement in longitudinal direction therewith; and a pair of toothed wheels, each having a plurality of spaced wheel teeth and being turnably mounted on said bracket for turning movement in a plane substantially normal to said teeth of said comb and inclined to said plane in which said row of spaced knitting needles is located on the other side of said needle comb spaced equal distances from the same and said wheels being spaced from each other in longitudinal direction of said needle comb, said wheel teeth being in meshing engagement with said teeth of said needle comb so that said toothed Wheels turn during movement of said actuating means and said wheel teeth are adapted to consecutively project through said suspended loops of said workpiece to prevent displacement of said workpiece by said hooked end portions of said needles.

11. In a knitting apparatus, in combination, a support; an elongated needle comb mounted on said support and having a plurality of spaced teeth projecting therefrom; a row of spaced knitting needles having hooked end portions and being located in a plane and respectively movable through the spaces between said teeth of said needle comb between a retracted position in which said needles are located at one side of said needle comb and an advanced position in which said hooked end portions project through said needle comb to the other side of the same; actuating means movable in longitudinal direction of said needle comb and having needle shifting means consecutively engaging groups of said needles during such movement for consecutively moving said needles from said retracted to said advanced position and back, so that said needle comb retainsa knitted workpiece on said other side thereof suspended on suspending loops passing through said hooked end portions of said needles when the same have moved to said retracted position; a supporting bracket being connected to said actuating means for movement in longitudinal direction therewith; and a I pair of toothed wheels, each having a plurality of spaced wheel teeth and being turnably mounted on said bracket for turning movement about an axis substantially normal to saidteeth of said comb on the other side of said needle comb spaced equal distances from the same and said wheels being spaced from each other in lonigtudinal dircction of said needle comb, said wheel teeth being in meshing engagement with said teeth of said needle comb so that said toothed wheels turn during movement of said actuating means and said wheel teeth are adapted to consecutively project through said suspended loops of said workpiece to prevent displacement of said workpiece by said hooked end portions of said needles, the distance between the axes of said toothed wheels being such that the wheel teeth respectively project through the same loops which tend to be displaced in upward direction by the hooked end portions of said knitting needles as these hooked end portions pass through said loops during the reciprocating movement of said needles.

12. In a knitting apparatus, in combination, a support; an elongated needle comb mounted on said support and having a plurality of spaced teeth projecting therefrom; a row of spaced knitting needles having hooked end portions and being located in a plane and respectively movable through the spaces between said teeth of said needle comb between a retracted position in which said needles are located at one side of said needle comb and an advanced position in which said hooked end portions project through said needle comb to the other side of the same; actuating means movable in longitudinal direction of said needle comb and having needle shifting means consecutively engaging groups of said needles during such movement for consecutively moving said needles from said retracted to said advanced position and back, so that said needle comb retains a knitted workpiece on said other side thereof suspended on suspending loops passing through said hooked end portions of said needles when the same have moved to said retracted position; a pair of support arms being connected to said actuating means for movement in longitudinal direction therewith; a support plate slidably mounted on said support arms on the other side of said needle comb for movement toward and away from said needle comb; yieldable means acting on said support plate and tending to move said support plate toward said needle comb;

and a pair of toothed wheels, each having a plurality of spaced wheel teeth and being turnably mounted on said support plate for turning movement about an axis substantially normal to said teeth of said comb, spaced equal distances from the same and said wheels being spaced from each other in longitudinal direction of said needle comb, said wheel teeth being in meshing engagement with said teeth of said needle comb so that said toothed wheels turn during movement of said actuating means and said wheel teeth are adapted to consecutively project through said suspended loops of said workpiece to prevent displacement of said workpiece by said hooked end portions of said needles, the distance between the axes of said toothed Wheels being such that the wheel teeth respectively project through the same loops which tend to be displaced in upward direction by the hooked end portions of said knitting needles as these hooked end portions pass through said loops during the reciprocating movement of said needles.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,715,328 Buhrer Aug. 16, 1955 

